Intra-Cardiac versus Transesophageal Echocardiographic Guidance for Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion with a Watchman FLX Device.

This study aimed to compare the peri-procedural success and complication rate within a large registry of intra-cardiac echocardiography (ICE)- vs. transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-guided left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures with a Watchmann FLX device. Data from 772 LAAO procedures, performed at 26 Italian centers, were reviewed. Technical success was considered as the final implant of a Watchmann FLX device in LAA; the absence of pericardial tamponade, peri-procedural stroke and/or systemic embolism, major bleeding and device embolization during the procedure was defined as a procedural success. One-year stroke and major bleeding rates were evaluated as outcome. ICE-guided LAA occlusion was performed in 149 patients, while TEE was used in 623 patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between the ICE and TEE groups. The technical success was 100% in both groups. Procedural success was also extremely high (98.5%), and was comparable between ICE (98.7%) and TEE (98.5%). ICE was associated with a slightly longer procedural time (73 ± 31 vs. 61.9 ± 36 min, p = 0.042) and shorter hospital stay (5.3 ± 4 vs. 5.8 ± 6 days, p = 0.028) compared to the TEE group. At one year, stroke and major bleeding rates did not differ between the ICE and TEE groups. A Watchmann FLX device showed high technical and procedural success rate, and ICE guidance does not appear inferior to TEE.

Periprocedural outcome in patients undergoing left atrial appendage occlusion with the Watchman FLX device: The ITALIAN-FLX registry.

Introduction: The Watchman FLX is a novel device for transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) specifically designed to improve procedural performance in more complex anatomies with a better safety profile. Recently, small prospective non-randomized studies have shown good procedural success and safety compared with previous experiences. Results from large multicenter registries are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of the Watchman FLX device in a real-world setting. Methods: Italian FLX registry is a retrospective, non-randomized, multicentric study across 25 investigational centers in Italy including consecutive patients undergoing LAAO with the Watchman FLX between March 2019 and September 2021 (N = 772). The primary efficacy outcome was the technical success of the LAAO procedure (peri-device flow ≤ 5 mm) as assessed by intra-procedural imaging. The peri-procedural safety outcome was defined as the occurrence of one of the following events within 7 days after the procedure or by hospital discharge: death, stroke, transient ischemic attack, major extracranial bleeding (BARC type 3 or 5), pericardial effusion with tamponade or device embolization. Results: A total of 772 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 76 ± 8 with a mean CHA2DS2-VASc score of 4.1 ± 1.4 and a mean HAS-BLED score of 3.7 ± 1.1. Technical success was achieved in 772 (100%) patients with the first device implanted in 760 (98.4%) patients. A peri-procedural safety outcome event occurred in 21 patients (2.7%) with major extracranial bleeding being the most common (1.7%). No device embolization occurred. At discharge 459 patients (59.4%) were treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Conclusions: The Italian FLX registry represents the largest multicenter retrospective real-world study reporting periprocedural outcome of LAAO with the Watchman FLX device, resulting in a procedural success rate of 100% and a low incidence of peri-procedural major adverse events (2.7%).

A large, prospective, multicentre study of left main PCI using a latest-generation zotarolimus-eluting stent: the ROLEX study.

BACKGROUND: Data on left main (LM) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) have mostly been obtained in studies using drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms without dedicated large-vessel devices and with limited expansion capability. AIMS: Our study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of LM PCI with the latest-generation Resolute Onyx DES. METHODS: ROLEX (Revascularization Of LEft main with resolute onyX) is a prospective, multicentre study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03316833) enrolling patients with unprotected LM coronary artery disease and a SYNTAX score <33 undergoing PCI with the Resolute Onyx zotarolimus-eluting coronary stent, that includes dedicated extra-large vessel platforms. The primary endpoint (EP) was target lesion failure (TLF): a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI) and ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation (ID-TLR), at 1 year. All events were adjudicated by an independent clinical event committee. An independent core lab analysed all procedural angiograms. RESULTS: A total of 450 patients (mean age 71.8 years, SYNTAX score 24.5±7.2, acute coronary syndrome in 53%) were enrolled in 26 centres. Of these, 77% of subjects underwent PCI with a single-stent and 23% with a 2-stent technique (8% double kissing [DK] crush, 6% culotte, 9% T/T and small protrusion [TAP] stenting). Intravascular imaging guidance was used in 45% (42% intravascular ultrasound [IVUS], 3% optical coherence tomography [OCT]). At 1 year, the primary EP incidence was 5.1% (cardiac death 2.7%, TVMI 2.7%, ID-TLR 2.0%). The definite/probable stent thrombosis rate was 1.1%. In a prespecified adjusted subanalysis, the primary EP incidence was significantly lower in patients undergoing IVUS/OCT-guided versus angio-guided PCI (2.0 vs 7.6%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13-0.58; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large, multicentre, prospective registry, LM PCI with the Resolute Onyx DES showed good safety and efficacy at 1 year, particularly when guided by intracoronary imaging.

Management of Patients with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Acute Coronary Syndrome: a Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a hereditary collagen vascular disorder characterized by joint hypermobility, skin hyperextensibility, and tissue fragility. Vascular EDS (vEDS) is a subtype of EDS which is characterized by vascular fragility. CASE PRESENTATION: This is a case report of a young man with vEDS hospitalized for myocardial infarction. He was presented with a coronary dissection and developed aortic dissection, coronary rupture, and cardiac tamponade until death. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights how patients with vEDS and acute coronary syndrome show a higher risk of vascular complications compared with other patients, and their admission to the institution with a cardiac surgery room could be helpful and safe for better management of the complications. Non-invasive methods could be useful to exclude other vascular diseases, before the emergency coronary intervention.

A more-Comers populAtion trEated with an ultrathin struts polimer-free Sirolimus stent: an Italian post-maRketing study (the CAESAR registry).

Introduction: The use of contemporary drug-eluting stents (DES) has significantly improved outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, concerns exist regarding the long-term proinflammatory effects of durable polymer coatings used in most DES, potentially leading to long-term adverse events. First-generation polymer-free stent technologies, such as sirolimus- and probucol-eluting stents (PF-SES), have shown an excellent safety and efficacy profile. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the new ultrathin Coroflex ISAR NEO PF-SES, in a more-comers PCI population. Methods: The CAESAR (a more-Comers populAtion trEated with an ultrathin struts polimer-free Sirolimus stent: An Italian post-maRketing study) registry is a multicenter, prospective study conducted in Italy, enrolling more-comers CAD patients undergoing PCI with the Coroflex ISAR NEO stent. Patients with left main (LM) disease, cardiogenic shock (CS), or severely reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were excluded. The primary endpoint was target-lesion revascularization (TLR) at 1 year. Results: A total of 425 patients were enrolled at 13 centers (mean age 66.9 ± 11.6 years, Diabetes mellitus 29%, acute coronary syndrome 67%, chronic total occlusion 9%). Of these, 40.9% had multivessel disease (MVD) and in 3.3% cases, the target lesion was in-stent restenosis (ISR). Clinical device success was reached in 422 (99.6%) cases. At 1 year, only two (0.5%) subjects presented ischemia-driven TLR. The 1-year rates of target vessel revascularization and MACE were 0.5% and 5.1%, respectively. Major bleeding was observed in four (1.0%) patients. Conclusion: In this multicenter, prospective registry, the use of a new ultrathin Coroflex ISAR NEO PF-SES in a more-comers PCI population showed good safety and efficacy at 1 year.

ImpaCt of an Optimal Implantation Strategy on Absorb Long-Term Outcomes: The CIAO Registry.

AIM: To compare the long-term outcomes of patients implanted with Absorb bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) with optimal versus suboptimal technique. METHODS AND RESULTS: All patients who received an Absorb between March 2012 and January 2016 were selected from 19 Italian centers databases to assess the impact of an optimal implantation technique (CIAO criteria) on long-term device-oriented composite end-point (DOCE) - including cardiac death (CD), target-vessel myocardial infarction (TV-MI) and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (ID-TLR) - on its single components and on scaffold thrombosis (ScT). CIAO criteria consist of predilation (balloon/vessel ratio 1:1), correct sizing (BRS/proximal reference vessel diameter -RVD- ratio 0.8-1.2) and high-pressure postdilation with non-compliant (NC) balloon (≥20 atm for balloon/BRS ratio 1:1 or ≥16 atm for a 0.25-0.5 mm oversized balloon). Among the 1.434 patients analyzed, 464 (32.4%) fulfilled all CIAO criteria for every BRS implanted (CIAO 3 group), while 970 (67.6%) did not in at least one of the received BRS (CIAO 0-1-2 group). At 31.0 (interquartile range -IQR- 24.8-38.5) months follow-up, CIAO criteria did not impact on DOCE (8.2% vs. 8.0%, p = 0.92), ID-TLR (6.9% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.72) or ScT (1.9% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.80) in the overall population. At multivariate analysis overall BRS length (p = 0.001), severely calcified lesions (p = 0.03) and absence of CIAO criteria (CIAO 0, p = 0.005) were independent predictors of DOCE in long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that strict application of an optimal Absorb implantation technique doesn't improve long-term DOCE or ScT but may mitigate the worse outcome of patients with calcific lesions.

Epicardial fat study-AG: relationship between echocardiographic epicardial fat and coronary artery disease in patients after invasive coronary artery angiography.

Background: Epicardial fat increase has not yet a clear correlation with coronary artery disease (CAD). Aim: This study had as goal to demonstrate a relationship between an increase of epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and CAD. Materials & methods: In this observational study, we included 234 patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography. Before invasive coronary angiography, all patients underwent echocardiographic-2D for evaluation of EFT and they were divided into groups based on Gensini score and also on Syntax score. Results: EFT was significantly correlated to the presence and severity of CAD assessed by Gensini score with a cut-off value of 5.2 mm (sensitivity of 90.9%-specificity of 87.3%- area under the ROC curve = 92.1%). Conclusion: EFT increase (fat index ≥5.2 mm) evaluated by echocardiographic-2D could be considered as a risk factor for predicting CAD.

Drug Coated Balloon-Only Strategy in De Novo Lesions of Large Coronary Vessels.

OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the efficacy of drug coated balloons (DCB) as a stand-alone-therapy in de novo lesions of large coronary arteries. DCBs seem to be an attractive alternative for the stent-free interventional treatment of de novo coronary artery disease (CAD). However, data regarding a DCB-only approach in de novo CAD are currently limited to vessels of small caliber. METHODS: By means of propensity score (PS) matching 234 individuals with de novo CAD were identified with similar demographic characteristics. This patient population was stratified in a 1:1 fashion according to a reference vessel diameter cut-off of 2.75 mm in small and large vessel disease. The primary endpoint was the rate of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 9 months. RESULTS: Patients with small vessel disease had an average reference diameter of 2.45 ± 0.23 mm, while the large vessel group averaged 3.16 ± 0.27 mm. Regarding 9-month major adverse cardiac event (MACE), 5.7% of the patients with small and 6.1% of the patients with large vessels had MACE (p=0.903). Analysis of the individual MACE components revealed a TLR rate of 3.8% in small and 1.0% in large vessels (p=0.200). Of note, no thrombotic events in the DCB treated coronary segments occurred in either group during the 9-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate for the first time that DCB-only PCI of de novo lesions in large coronary arteries (>2.75 mm) is safe and as effective. Interventional treatment for CAD without permanent or temporary scaffolding, demonstrated a similar efficacy for large and small vessels.

Sirolimus-Eluting Magnesium Resorbable Scaffold Implantation in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

To date, very little is known about the performance of a sirolimus-eluting bioresorbable magnesium scaffold (Mg-BRS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A multicenter cohort analysis was performed on 69 consecutive AMI subjects treated with Mg-BRS. Procedural success was obtained in all cases, and no in-hospital events were reported. At 9-month follow-up, no cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization, or Mg-BRS thrombosis was reported. Although our analysis showed encouraging results, larger studies and longer-term follow-up are needed to better understand the potential benefits associated with the use of a Mg-BRS in AMI patients.

Prospective, large-scale multicenter trial for the use of drug-coated balloons in coronary lesions: The DCB-only All-Comers Registry.

OBJECTIVES: This prospective, observational all-comers registry assessed the safety and efficacy of a Drug Coated Balloon-only strategy (DCB-only) in patients with coronary lesions. BACKGROUND: Data regarding the performance of a DCB-only approach, especially in patients with previously untreated de-novo coronary artery disease (CAD), are still limited. METHODS: This study was conducted as an international, multicenter registry primarily enrolling patients with de-novo CAD. However, it was also possible to include patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR). The primary endpoint was the rate of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) after 9 months. RESULTS: A total of 1,025 patients with a mean age of 64.0 ± 11.2 years were enrolled. The majority of treated lesions were de-novo (66.9%), followed by drug-eluting-stent ISR (DES-ISR; 22.6%) and bare-metal-stent ISR (BMS-ISR; 10.5%). The TLR rate was lower in the de-novo group (2.3%) when compared to BMS- (2.9%) and DES-ISR (5.8%) (P = 0.049). Regarding MACE, there was a trend toward fewer events in the de-novo group (5.6%) than in the BMS- (7.8%) and DES-ISR cohort (9.6%) (P = 0.131). Subgroup analyses revealed that lesion type (95% CI 1.127-6.587); P = 0.026) and additional stent implantation (95% CI 0.054-0.464; P = 0.001) were associated with higher TLR rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that DCB-only angioplasty of de-novo coronary lesions is associated with low MACE and TLR rates. Thus, DCBs appear to be an attractive alternative for the interventional, stentless treatment of suitable de-novo coronary lesions.

Coronary Artery Fistulae: Anatomy, Diagnosis and Management Strategies.

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is a relatively rare anatomic abnormality of the coronary arteries that afflicts 0.002% of the general population and represents 14% of all the anomalies of coronary arteries. Its clinical relevance focusses mainly on the mechanism of "coronary steal phenomenon", causing myocardial functional ischaemia even in the absence of stenosis, hence common symptoms are angina or effort dyspnoea. The suggested diagnostic approach is guided by the patient's symptoms and consists of a number of instrumental examinations like ECG, treadmill test, echocardiography, computed tomography scan, cardiac magnetic resonance and coronary angiography. If it is not an incidental finding, coronary angiography is required in view of the optimal therapeutic planning. Small-sized fistulae are usually asymptomatic and have an excellent prognosis if managed medically with clinical follow-up with echocardiography every 2 to 5 years. In the case of symptomatic, large-sized or giant fistulae an invasive treatment, by transcatheter approach or surgical ligation, is usually a reasonable choice, and both strategies show equivalent results at long-term follow-up. Antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis is recommended in all patients with coronary artery fistulae who undergo dental, gastrointestinal or urological procedures. A life-long follow-up is always essential to ensure that the patient is not undergoing progression of disease or further cardiac complications.

Clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes mellitus treated with Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffolds: a subanalysis of the European Multicentre GHOST-EU Registry.

BACKGROUND: Data on the clinical performance of bioresorbable scaffolds in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are still limited. The present study reported 1-year clinical outcomes associated with the use of everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (Absorb BVS; Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA) in DM patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a subanalysis from the GHOST-EU (Gauging coronary Healing with biOresorbable Scaffolding plaTforms in Europe) multicenter retrospective registry including patients treated with Absorb BVS between November 2011 and September 2014. In this study, a comparative analysis stratified according to DM was performed. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF), defined as the combination of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction (MI) and clinically-driven target-lesion revascularization (TLR). A total of 1,477 patients were treated with 2,224 Absorb BVS; 381 (25.8%) and 1,096 (74.2%) patients were with and without DM, respectively. The 1-year rate of TLF was higher among patients with DM (7.8%) than those without DM (4.3%); the increase in TLF was driven by TLR (6.5% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.009); no significant differences in cardiac death (1.1% vs. 0.9%, P = 0.68) and target-vessel MI (3.1% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.38) were observed, respectively. Definite/probable scaffold thrombosis rate tended to be higher among patients with DM than those without DM (3.0% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.14, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Absorb BVS use in patients with DM was associated with increased 1-year TLF and scaffold thrombosis compared with non-diabetes patients.

Predilation, sizing and post-dilation scoring in patients undergoing everolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffold implantation for prediction of cardiac adverse events: development and internal validation of the PSP score.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to develop a scoring model to evaluate the quality of bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation and determine the model's usefulness in predicting adverse cardiac events. METHODS AND RESULTS: The implantation technique and clinical outcomes of 1,736 lesions treated with BVS were analysed using the GHOST-EU registry. Predilation, scaffold sizing, and post-dilation (PSP) were scored according to the hazard model derived from the weight of these variables. The primary endpoint was a one-year device-oriented composite endpoint (DoCE) composed of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically driven target lesion revascularisation. Definite/probable scaffold thrombosis was also evaluated as defined by the Academic Research Consortium. The PSP model performance was evaluated by internal validation. Predilation, correct scaffold sizing, and post-dilation with a non-compliant balloon were performed in 95.7%, 50.2%, and 26.2% of the cases and scored 0.63, 1.96 and 1.93 points, respectively, in the PSP-1 model. PSP-1 was an independent predictor of one-year DoCE (HR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61-0.93; p=0.007), but with poor calibration and discrimination (AUC 0.611, 95% CI: 0.545-0.677). No patient with a maximum PSP-1 score had scaffold thrombosis, compared to those with a non-maximum PSP-1 score (0% vs. 2.3%; p=0.095). CONCLUSIONS: At one-year follow-up, the PSP-1 score was an independent predictor of DoCE. External validation and prospective studies are needed to determine the clinical usefulness of this score.

Bioresorbable Everolimus-Eluting Vascular Scaffold for Long Coronary Lesions: A Subanalysis of the International, Multicenter GHOST-EU Registry.

OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to investigate 1-year outcomes in patients treated with bioresorbable everolimus-eluting vascular scaffolds (BVS) for "long coronary lesions." BACKGROUND: The present substudy derived from the GHOST-EU registry included 1,722 lesions in 1,468 consecutive patients, enrolled between November 2011 and September 2014 at 11 European centers. METHODS: The lesions were divided into 3 groups according to continuous BVS length: 1) shorter than 30 mm; 2) between 30 and 60 mm; and 3) longer than 60 mm. Primary device-oriented endpoint (target lesion failure [TLF]) was defined as a combination of cardiovascular death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target lesion revascularization. RESULTS: Patients with lesions ≥60 mm had more comorbidities and more complex lesion characteristics, including chronic total occlusions (37%), bifurcation lesions (40.3%), higher Syntax score (16.4 ± 7.8), and higher number of scaffolds implanted per lesion (3.3 ± 0.9 mm). The main target vessel was the left anterior coronary artery in all groups. Median follow-up was 384 (interquartile range: 359 to 459) days. One-year follow-up was completed in 70.3% of patients. TLF at 1 year was significantly higher in group C (group A 4.8%, group B 4.5%, group C 14.3%; overall p = 0.001), whereas there were no significant differences between groups A and B. Finally, a numerically higher (but not statistically significant) number of scaffold thromboses were observed in group C when compared with shorter lesions (group A 2.1%, group B 1.1%, group C 3.8%; overall p = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world setting, treatment of long coronary lesions with BVS ≥60 mm was associated with a higher TLF rate, driven by myocardial infarction and clinically driven target lesion revascularization.